The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-19
THEY NEED MORE MONEY.
The State Board of Health's Complaints About
the Insufficiency of Its Appropriation.

The State Board of Health is not satisfied
with its appropriation of So. 000 The members
say that it is wholly inadequate. as out OF that
sum salaries and expenses of all kinds have to
be met A large proportion Of this expenditure
is for printing, and for some time the board has
thought its supplies of blank forms and other
printing have cost too much. AS the appropria-
ton is charged to the board alone. it was sug-
gested that what printing was necessary for its
could be procured from others aside
from the contractor of public printing. It Was
urged that rs the State general fund would not
be charged Bile with the expense, it would not be
strictly State expense, since the $1,000 was
given to the board to use as it fit in the
transaction of it's business. About a dozen
different forms are required by the board and
as an instance it is stated that contractor Bun
ford charges for the set of forms $1.50 per hun
dred and 81. 90 for each additional hundred. IF
we could .. get al along wit. with few
aundr woa said h Dr. ra Mstc"f yesterday
several thousands OF each form. When we pay
81 for each hundred after the first the bill
amounts to more than the funds we have at
other expenses. The fact lis, our boards little
appropriation is paying the big profit in public
printing. while the other offices get the benefit of
narrow margins"
The board decided, il the law would permit,
to take it's orders elsewhere, but submitting
the question TO Attorney general Kitchener that
OLucer SAID IL cOulQ not De done legally. In the
opinion he sent to the board that officer holds
that it is only necessary to inquire whether the
printing, binding, or stationery is authorized by
law, and is to be done at the expense of the
State. If it is and is to be made charceable TO
the State in any way, the supplies named can be
procured only through the Commissioners of
Public Printing. The fact that the board has
exclusive control Of it's appropriations makes no
difference. The supplies in the end State
expense. and must be controlled by the officers
appointed for that purpose.
The Board of Health thinks the good it could
ton. IF epidemic should come near our
borders" said Secretary Metcalf 1--WE would
have no means to establish a successful quaran-
tine. During the summer it was fearful that
cholera would come into the country. There
were signs of it in Mexico 1t could have come
up the rivers and spread in Indiana, before we
could do anything to prevent it. Illinois is bet
ter off. Her board has a contingent fund of
$4,000; beside the sum allowed the board for
current expenses is large. The last Legislature
OF Ohio created State Board of He alth
and gave it appropriation of $4,000 We
have tried to get our resources enlarged. but it
seems that the usefulness of board of health
is something that the average legislator cannot
fully appreciate. We ought to have contin-
gent fund that would enable US TO make the su-
pervision of the State and its control as to san
itary matters efficient. This fund could be held
for use at the discretion of the Governor on
recommendation from the State Board of
Health. As it is, we get along very we'll in
healthy seasons, but let disease become epl-
demic to a great extent among men and ami
mails and the board will be powerless"